Cost reduction makes companies look more to cabotage

Sao Paulo-the slowdown in cabotage was short-lived, after two years '' riding '' side, the sector aims to be back growing at pre-crisis levels. In addition to the slight resumption of imports, the review of cost in enterprises and the increase of fuel prices are starting to help the increasing demand.
With the tide, the leader of the Alliance and Logistics market-with more than 50% of the country''s cabotage-revised its growth projections for the year, from about 3% and 5% for '' double digits '', i.e. at least 10% growth. "In 2015 and 2016 the market walked aside, but in 2017 is different," says the General Manager of cabotage and MERCOSUR Navigation and logistics Alliance, Marcus Voloch.
According to him, to adapt to the new demand, the company has increased by 6% to your ability in the first half and the cast is having a new significant increase in 2018, if the positive performance to continue. "We''re still studying the necessary investments. The conversation is embryonic, but we may have a possible increase in capacity to the exchange for larger ships in the second half of 2018, "explains Voloch.
Even with significant retraction movement of cars on cabotage-electronics leaders and two wheels-the Executive points out that has managed to diversify the load profile answered. "We have seen an increase in plastic, resin, pulp and paper and consumer goods". According to the Executive, there is a large growth opportunity in refrigerated cargo and perishable foods in General that do not have the habit of using the modal. "We have obtained a great success with supermarkets in Northern Paraná and Amazon. Many begin with basic products such as laundry detergent and when they realize the ship arrives without delay and without failure end up using more "analyses.
Asked about the rising price of fuel, the Executive points out that only the transport to the port must have impact, but should not lead to a significant cost increase. On the contrary, according to the maritime product manager of DHL Global Forwarding, Ricardo Carui, the rising price of fuel for the road modal can benefit from cabotage, by letting even more evident the competitive price of the modal in routes with more than 1500 kilometers. "A route that we believe have great potential [with this] is the Saints-Manaus, especially now when there is a slight trend in increased demand for consumer goods". For him, the change of a modal to other already occurs for a number of years and the increase of fuel costs is another factor that should accelerate the trend.
"Imports also grew back and demand a lot of trans-shipment", complements the shipping specialist and partner at consulting Solve, Leandro Barreto.
Sectorial analysis To Barreto, the potential growth of cabotage is still great. "What happens is that the ships nearly doubled in size [in the long course] in the last five years, only that our terminals cannot receive these ships and enter cabotage," explains citing the research of the Institute of logistics and Supply Chain (Ilos), which showed that, in 2015, for each container carried in cabotage had 6.5 migration potential from the highway to the thread. "The prospects are excellent. No wonder the sale of Mercosul Line [for the CMA CGM, still in approval] was so quick. "
Asked about the interest of other companies in the market, he points out that the barrier to entry is still great. "Or you build ship in Brazil or you import the new ship. To bring the ships the investment is too high, because you would need at least four ships to have a decent service. Added to this has about 40% of tax and the value of the purchase of containers. It''s an investment billionaire, is not for everyone. Sometimes it''s easier to go with the acquisition of a company, "he says. Still, he points out that not to unbalance the ratio of supply and demand today, a new company should be gradual. "If you get at once destroys the market," said Barreto.
The expert has a big challenge in time to attract foreign capital-is for infrastructure investments or in transport-is the lack of standardization in the statistics of the cabotage sector.
He cites that the official data of the industry regulatory Agency calculates some important details, such as transhipment cargo in ocean-going ships when there is no space between national shipowners, something increasingly applicant. "How do we convince someone to do a high investment and you need to present a project to an international bank without reliable and detailed information? The lack of detail distorts the information. "